Trump catapults to top of GOP presidential primary race, overturning DeSantis' 14-point lead: poll

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Florida Republicans explain why they are backing Trump over DeSantis in 2024

Florida Republican Reps. Cory Mills, Greg Steube, and Byron Donalds shared their opinions on the potential presidential bid from Ron DeSantis

Former President Trump has turned the Republican presidential primary on its head within four months, turning a 14-point deficit to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis into a 13-point lead, in a new Wall Street Journal poll released Friday.

Trump now leads DeSantis 51% to 38% among likely GOP voters, according to the Wall Street Journal poll.

DeSantis has not officially announced his intention to run for president in 2024, but he is expected to launch a campaign sometime after the end of Florida's legislative session, which concludes next month. Behind the scenes, DeSantis has already made plenty of moves toward launching a campaign, including beefing up staff in Tallahassee, Florida.

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Former President Trump speaks during a 2024 election campaign rally in Waco, Texas. (SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images)

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Trump, who launched his third straight White House campaign in November, has seen his status as the GOP front-runner solidify in recent polling, especially after Republicans rallied around him as he became the first former president in American history to be indicted. 

Trump has cashed in on the legal controversy, with his campaign raising millions since news of the indictment broke the evening of March 30.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks about his new book "The Courage to Be Free" in the Air Force One Pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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A Fox News Poll released March 30 also found Trump had doubled his lead since February, leading DeSantis 54% to 24%.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, and former President Trump, right. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In the Wall Street Journal poll, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley received support from 5% of likely Republican voters. 

Current South Carolina Gov. Tim Scott received approximately 3%. 

The Journal poll surveyed 600 likely Republican primary voters April 11-17, and has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

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Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.